Movie Review: ‘Misdirection’

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Review by James Lindorf

Director Kevin Lewis had a rough start to his career, with his work rarely being received well. Then, in 2021, he had a bit of a breakthrough with the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” knockoff “Willy’s Wonderland,” starring a silent Nicolas Cage. Unfortunately, his follow-up, “The Accursed,” left both fans and critics dissatisfied. Still, he has shown promise and is back with a new thriller, thanks to Beno Films and Cineverse. “Misdirection” trades Willy’s zany splatter for a psychological exploration of greed, guilt, and grief. “Misdirection” is now available On Demand.

“Misdirection” starts with the most infamous plotline in crime film history: one last job. That’s all, Sara and Jason (Olga Kurylenko, Oliver Trevana), a couple of burglars turned lovers, need to pay off their debts and escape to a new life together. Their latest target is David Blume (Frank Grillo), a successful defense attorney with the riches to prove it. David’s modern home offers the amenities and access points for the high-tech thieves to learn his weakness and schedule. With a meticulous plan in place, the duo strikes while David is attending a banquet, finding his valuables, including a watch collection, and cracking his safe. But before they can make their great escape, David returns home, revealing a hidden agenda that means not everyone will be walking out of that house.

Only the first couple of minutes of the 133-minute runtime take place outside of David’s home. And the majority of the remaining time takes place in a single room. With David tied to the bed frame while Sara and Jason deal with the “unexpected” fallout of his coming home early. Do they make a run for it, do they kill him for seeing their faces, or over the evidence of crimes they found in his home? This dilemma makes for a character-heavy film. Everyone has their motivations for wanting a certain outcome, but not everyone is being honest about what they want from this night. This puts a lot of weight on the actors and the script from first-time screenwriter Lacy McClory.

While all of the actors are giving good serviceable performances, no one reaches the top tier. Trevana is doing his best Jason Statham impression, minus all the kicking, but it is easy to see him as the lead of a low- to mid-budget action franchise. Grillo has been better in the Purge series and the MCU, but he gives the most consistent performance of the trio. The most emotional performance in the film comes from Kurylenko, who, unlike the others, must deliver all three main emotional beats of the story. She largely handles herself well, but. She falls a little flat in the biggest moments. When she needs to be the angriest and most distraught, it sounds like someone reading a script, not someone in genuine distress. It is hard to separate the script from the performers, making it hard to know who to blame for revealing the twist early. While it takes time for the truth to come out, there is no question who is behind the misdirection.

With a single location and a script that has its moments but lacks depth overall, Lewis and cinematographer Matti Eerikäinen do their best to enhance the story with their visuals. They employ several methods, including weaving the camera frame around, as if the viewers are disoriented or intoxicated. David’s home is largely made of glass, metal, and marble, providing endless opportunities to capture reflections and distorted images that convey a sense of unease and confusion in our characters. It makes it hard for them to believe what they are seeing and hearing, which compounds the tension among all three characters.
“Misdirection” isn’t groundbreaking, but it is a solid film that holds your attention for its runtime, even if it would be better 10 minutes shorter. No single element of the film drags it down, and conversely, nothing lifts it. It is a solid but inconsistent film in every respect, earning its 3 out of 5 score.

Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 10, 2026
Runtime: 1h 33m
Director: Kevin Lewis
Screenwriter: Lacy McClory
Producer: Steve Shapiro, Oliver Trevena
Distributor: Cineverse
Production Co: Beno Films